Green Garlic Season

'Tis the season of pungent, potent green garlic! The bunches illustrated were grown by Mua family farm in Fresno, purchased at the Saturday farmers market in Salinas, and Bernier farms in Healdsburg, purchased at the Tuesday afternoon community market in Cloverdale.

Most went into making a chutney of cilantro, roast peanuts, jalapeño, lime juice, salt and green garlic tops and bulbs. This was killer for April's month of grilled cheese sandwiches, as well as serving with papadums. I also thinned out the last of the chutney with olive oil and used it to sauce fresh rice noodles.

Green garlic found its way into cream of cauliflower soup and a fennel bisque. Green garlic-infused olive oil to drizzle over fresh fava and burrata crostini. Minced green garlic tops stirred into creamy scrambled eggs.

Gail Simmons gives us her list of pantry must-haves. Ingredients you should always have around to enhance and boost the flavor of all your meals. It's the little things that keep life interesting. Read more here.

Chefs Joanne Chang and Karen Akunowicz from Myers + Chang in Boston, show us how to use lemongrass. It's the central ingredient in their Green Monster, infusing the stir-fry with unique bright, citrusy, and floral-herbal fragrance. Read more.

Chief bartender at Hotel Unique in Sao Paulo, Mateus Saint Laurent, shows us how to make the Brazilian national drink, Caipirinha. A delicious and refreshing cocktail that you should make a part of your bar repertoire.